


I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long

by ladyannabethstark



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon, Canon Divergent, Drabble Series, Drabbles, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-17 14:09:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8146993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyannabethstark/pseuds/ladyannabethstark
Summary: drabbles collected from tumblr





	1. untitled

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at sethsprincess on tumblr and sethkaterise on twitter. You can leave me prompts at either one, or drop a comment and I'll probably fill it.
> 
> Work Title - Bring on the Wonder by Susan Enan
> 
> This particular drabble:
> 
> Prompt: "He kissed her. Without warning, without permission. Without even deciding to do it, but simply because he couldn’t have done anything else. He needed that breath she was holding. It belonged to him, and he wanted it back." —Tessa Dare
> 
> This is set after s1 and ignores s2 and beyond.

Seth felt rather than saw Kate slow down behind him and reluctantly did the same. They’d been running for blocks trying to get away from the police that converged on the bar. Not only had he started and finished a fight over a game of cards but it turned out that there were a few culebras there that were eager to peel the skin from Seth Gecko’s face. As soon as they fought them off, Seth grabbed the money from the table, took Kate’s hand, and flew out of that bar like a bat out of hell.

“That was close,” she managed to say between heavy breaths

Seth turned around, catching sight of her doubled over against the wall of the alley with her hands on her knees and her hair falling out of its loose braid. There was blood on her hands and splattered across the pristine white dress that she bought a few weeks back. Kate looked nothing like the pretty little preacher’s daughter from four months ago that confessed about kissing a boy in the church. Seth had to swallow down the guilt. The drops of blood were only a visual representation of what he did to her. He shouldn’t have wanted to take her back to their shitty motel room to wash them off with a gentle touch. When she looked up at him with a small yet exhilarated smile, he shouldn’t have wanted to kiss her. But he did.

“No bites,” Kate said, straightening up as she held out her arms, her pale skin luminous in the moonlight “You?”

He shook his head, rubbing a hand over his jaw.

“We got lucky,” Seth said darkly, hating himself for bringing her into this life and, even more, for not wanting her to leave it.

“It’s a good thing we’re a team,” Kate said, a teasing lilt to her voice as she pushed off the wall and stepped towards him.

Seth closed the rest of the distance between them before he could stop himself, destroying what was left of her braid when his hand delved into her hair. Kate’s gasp of surprise caught on his lips when he kissed her. It wasn’t what a girl like her deserved. He didn’t start slow and caress her lips with his. It was all desire and lust and the thrill of survival. Kate’s shock faded quickly and she gave as good as she got, her hands gripping his shoulders and her teeth nipping at his bottom lip.

“Sorry,” she said when he hissed, though there was laughter in her voice.

It yanked Seth out of whatever trance he’d been in.

“Shit,” he cursed, shaking his head though he didn’t step away from her. “I shouldn’t have…”

“Seth shut up,” Kate cut him off.

He did just that, watching her carefully.

“It was inevitable,” she said simply before pushing up on her toes to kiss him again.

Seth let it happen, knowing that she was right. They were always going to end up here. There was no use questioning it now. When they fled off into the night once more, he didn’t let go of her hand this time.


	2. untitled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth found her necklace at the well or he buys her another one. He still isn't good w words but actions he can do.

Seth could sense Scott’s discomfort as soon as he walked into the bedroom. A side-effect of spending a lot of one’s time with culebras was noticing the signs of their hunger. The fact that Scott was looking anywhere but at his sister was telling.

“I’ll take over.”

“I can stay,” Scott said stubbornly, holding one of Kate’s hands in both of his.

“Go take care of yourself,” Seth said, nudging him out of the chair. “You’ll be my first call if she wakes up.”

He sat there for several more moments staring at the wall before finally nodding.

“When,” Scott said, letting go of her hand to stand up.

“Hmm?” Seth said.

“When she wakes up,” he clarified, looking Seth straight in the eye. “She _will_ wake up.”

Seth nodded slowly, watching him go before sitting in the vacated chair. Kate hadn’t moved at all since he walked in the room. The covers were pushed down to her waist and her face was serene. If he couldn’t see the rise and fall of her chest, Seth might have thought she wasn’t alive after all. But he could even hear small puffs of air as she breathed and that was enough to comfort him.

“Sleep as long as you need,” he said, hesitantly taking her hand in his. “You sure as hell deserve it.”

Kate didn’t even stir. Several long silent moments passed before Seth huffed and ducked his head.

“Fuck,” he muttered, frustrated with himself and with the situation, knowing that there was nothing he could do but wait. “I don’t know what to say to you. I always thought there would be a million things to say but now…”

Seth trailed off, shaking his head.

“When you died, a part of me was gone. I never thought I’d get it back but now… now you’re here and I have no fucking clue what to say.”

He let the silence pass again before sticking his free hand into his pocket.

“I kept this hidden,” Seth said, pulling her necklace out. “Not even Richie knew.”

It looked so small and delicate in his hand, he was almost afraid he’d break it before he could give it back to her.

“I think it kept me going sometimes,” Seth said, carefully placing the cross necklace on the nightstand.

Kate’s hand twitched in his and he looked up to see her eyelids fluttering.

“Kate?”

He shifted from the chair to sit on the bed, silently begging for her to open her eyes. When she did, Seth didn’t really know what to do. She blinked several times before meeting his eyes.

“Hey,” he said, unsure of what else to say.

Kate’s brow furrowed slightly before her face relaxed and she managed a small smile. Seth’s heart skipped in his chest as brushed her hair out of her face.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

She stared at him for a few seconds before rolling her eyes in a very Kate-like manner. It nearly had him laughing out of relief.

“I’m thirsty,” she said, her voice hoarse as she pressed a hand to her throat.

Seth grabbed a bottle of water from nearby and unscrewed the top as she pushed herself up to sit, accepting it from him. She took several small sips before handing it back and looking around the room.

“This isn’t a motel,” Kate said, giving him a puzzled look.

“Richie and I have a place of our own now,” Seth told her.

She nodded a few times before her eyes fell on the nightstand and, more importantly, on the necklace. Kate looked like she didn’t quite believe it was real as she pressed her fingers to her neck.

“I thought it was gone forever,” she said in a hushed voice. “ _She_  took it off back at the well.”

“I found it it when we to find…” Seth trailed off, not wanting to talk to her about going to find her body so they could bury it. “I couldn’t leave it there.”

Kate looked up at him and he was alarmed to see her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Thank you,” was all she said before she threw herself at him, her face burying in his shoulder as her arms wrapped around his neck.

Seth remained still for several moments before slowly sliding his arms around her to return the embrace. They stayed like that for a very long time, Kate’s tears soaking into his shirt before she pulled away and wiped at her cheeks.

“Can you put it on me?” she asked, picking up the necklace.

He nodded, unwinding the gold chain as she lifted her hair off up and turned around to face away from him. Seth carefully placed it around her neck and clasped it. Kate sighed, touching her fingers to the cross as she leaned back into his chest.

“It was my mom’s,” she told him.

Seth didn’t say anything as he loosely wound his arms around her. They stayed like that for a long time before he remembered his vow.

“I told Scott I would call him if you woke up,” he said.

“Scott’s still here?” Kate asked, turning around to look at him with surprise.

He nodded, relieved when he saw her answering smile.

“I didn’t think… I didn’t know if he’d stay,” she admitted.

“Kid’s grown up a lot,” Seth said, brushing her too-red hair out of her face. “I think he really wanted to honor you after…”

He didn’t finish, looking at her warily.

“I was so angry with him when I died,” Kate admitted, sounding less hesitant than him to talk about it. “I was furious at all of you, really. But now I’m just…”

Seth waited for her to finish the sentence.

“Still angry?” he asked when she stayed quiet for almost a full minute.

Kate shook her head, looking overcome with emotion again. She leaned forward slowly, pressing her forehead to his as her hands came up to cup his face gently.

“I’m happy,” she said, a lone tear sliding down her cheek slowly.

He closed his eyes, breathing her in as they both remained very still.

“I am, too,” Seth said, his hands coming up to cover hers as he admitted to the rare emotion.

He knew she was smiling without having to look. And when she pressed a soft kiss to his lips, Seth couldn’t help but smile too.


	3. untitled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anything Seth ever wanted in life he had to take or he would never have it. And when he really thinks about it he can't help but wonder if Kate is no different. She's a brand of something special he knew he'd never deserve a take of. But he still stole her all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that I am always taking prompts if you have something you'd like to see.

For the first time since the Twister, they weren’t constantly looking over their shoulders. Maybe they should have been, but months had passed. The sensation of the Geckos had all but passed back in the states and they hadn’t seen a culebra since they fled from Jiménez. They were on their way south. Seth promised Kate that they would find their way to a beach this time. But now they were in a small town with nothing but a few stores, an abundance of tightly packed neighborhoods, and this bar. He was sitting at the bar with a bottle of tequila, two shot glasses, one abandoned, and his eyes on Kate. She’d tossed back no more than two shots before jumping to her feet to dive into the crowd of dancing locals. It wasn’t like her but Seth wasn’t going to stop her. Especially when he saw the peaceful, almost exhilarated look on her face as she danced among them with her hands stretched towards the ceiling and her head tilted backwards.

She didn’t move as fluidly as the others, whether that was personal awkwardness or the small amount of alcohol that made her slightly offbeat. It didn’t seem to bother her, or anyone else around her. They were amused at first at the young white girl trying to dance with them but they eventually went with it and a few brave young men even took it upon themselves to dance _with_ her. Seth noticed that they did their best to avoid his eyes when they did. That was why he was surprised to feel someone watching him as he poured himself yet another shot. He lifted the glass to his lips and glanced up to see who was staring at him and if he would have to do something about it. Seth was prepared, as always, to grab Kate and haul ass out of there if things went south. But he didn’t prepare for her to be the one watching him. 

She was still dancing, with slow rolls of her hips and her lower lip caught in her teeth. It was not a sight that belonged on a preacher’s daughter. But then again, she stopped being that a long time ago. Kate Fuller didn’t exist anymore. Neither did Seth Gecko. They were just two lost souls wandering together. Seth drank his shot down quickly, part of him hoping that she would be looking away by the time the tequila passed his throat. If she wasn’t looking at him, he could go back to drinking and watching her instead. Seth wouldn’t feel the urge to spirit her away from the dance floor, from all the wandering hands, and take her for his own like he’d wanted to do since  _“you want some company?”_. But she was still watching him and perhaps it was a trick of the bar’s low light but Seth thought he might have seen a mischievous, daring look in her eyes.

He’d stolen her once before. Snatched her away from her not so perfect life and got her caught up in all this shit. Kate never once reminded him of it in the last few months but he couldn’t forget. If Seth was a better man, he’d drop her at the border and tell her to go find a normal life. He was never going to be that man. As he stood up from the barstool, Seth knew that he would never stop stealing Kate Fuller away. She looked like she knew, like she could read his thoughts as he twisted and turned through the crowd before reaching her side. Kate’s eyes met his and she immediately reached for him, one hand closing around his bicep and the other sliding around his neck. Seth didn’t shy away from the kiss, his hands going to her hips as she pressed her lips to his sweetly. But there was nothing sweet about him. He tugged her in close and kissed her breathless, caring less and less about the other people in the room.

When they broke apart, she was even more flushed than before. Seth took her hand in his and turned, pulling her back through the crowd. They seemed to part easily, or perhaps it was his alcohol and Kate fueled mind that imagined things. As they walked out of the bar and into the heavy night air, Kate stepped up beside him and fitted his arm around her shoulders.

“Maybe we can stay here a few more days,” she said, smiling up at him as they walked.

“Whatever you want,” Seth found himself saying.

Yeah, he couldn’t stop stealing Kate away. But she did her fair share of stealing too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Halloween is basically an excuse for you to walk the streets in lingerie –and I love every second of it.”

Seth meant it as a passing joke with a culebra employee. Kate knew that. But something about his words stuck in her head. She knew the kind of women that he dated, and even married, in the past. It was hard not to think that she couldn’t measure up to all that. Pretty little Kate with her soft curves and sweet disposition. She was willing to bet that no one looked at her and saw sexy. She didn’t really know why but that stung. So that’s how she found herself in this situation, staring, wide-eyed. into the mirror in the bathroom that connected to the room she shared with Seth.

“Kate?” she heard, his voice muffled through the closed door. “The party is starting.”

She swallowed hard, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“I don’t think I’m going to the party,” Kate called to Seth.

There was a long pause before she heard his voice closer to the door.

“Why? You okay?”

Kate gave herself a nod in the mirror before turning around to open the door. Seth was standing only a few feet away, his eyes widening perceptibly as he looked her up and down.

“I don’t think _we’re_  going to the party,” she amended, leaning against the doorway.

Seth couldn’t keep his eyes off of the black satin robe she wore. It came only to mid-thigh and was open at the chest just enough to show a hint of black lace.

“What do you think?” Kate asked, tilting her head to the side. “You want to go hang out with a bunch of culebras and drink? Or do you want to stay here with me and my … costume?”

She thought she sounded ridiculous but something about her words definitely didn’t sound ridiculous to Seth, who nodded quickly.

“Here’s good,” he managed to say.

She smiled, tucking her loose hair behind one ear.

“Halloween is an excuse for lingerie, right?” Kate asked, playing with the belt of her robe. “I thought I’d play a little dress-up.”

“Shit,” Seth breathed, rubbing at his jaw as she stepped forward.

“Take your shirt off and sit on the bed, Seth,” she said, getting a burst of confidence at his reaction.

He looked at her as if this was all a dream and he’d inevitably wake up, but he still did what she wanted. First he stripped off his jacket and shed his dress shirt before kicking his shoes off and tugging his wifebeater over his head.

“Sit,” Kate repeated when he looked at her.

He did so, watching with desire in his eyes as she approached. When she reached him, Kate ran her fingers through his hair and let her fingers stroke over his jawline. His eyes closed and he tilted his head towards her touch. Kate brushed her thumb over his lip before pulling away, reaching down to lift both of his hands up towards her.

“Like this,” she said quietly, pressing his wrists together.

Seth kept them like that, though his eyes tracked her every movement as she untied the belt around her waist and let the robe fall open as she tugged it out of the loops. He exhaled sharply, taking in the sheer black lace with a hungry look. When Kate began winding the satin belt around his wrists, he shuddered but didn’t stop her. His eyes tracked her hands until she had them tied together. One sharp tug and he’d be free but somehow Kate knew that he wouldn’t do it. As she climbed onto his lap, her legs straddling his, he didn’t struggle in the slightest when she pushed him down to his back. His hands immediately went over his head and Kate felt warmth start in her chest and pool between her thighs at his compliance.

“So much better than a party,” she said, letting her fingers trail down his chest.

Straightening up, Kate slipped the robe from her shoulders and tossed it away.

“Fucking hell,” Seth groaned, looking like he wanted to touch her more than anything.

Part of Kate, probably the part that she tried to keep stamped down most of the time, loved seeing him like this. His hands tied up. At her mercy. She could do whatever she wanted. What would it take to make Seth Gecko beg? Kate felt horrible and wicked for wanting to find out. Seth shook when she raked her nails lightly over his abdomen and she couldn’t hold back her smile.

“You’re a damn tease,” he groaned, letting his head fall back.

Kate smiled wider before rolling her hips against his, tilting her head back when she felt him pressed against her core. They’d done this before, a lot of times, and they were damn good at it. But it never felt quite this … dangerous. With her lower lip caught between her teeth, she met Seth’s burning gaze and slipped one strap off of her shoulder, then the other.

“More?” she said breathlessly.

He nodded, watching as she unhooked her bra and tossed it away.

“This is your favorite part, isn’t it?” Kate said, brushing her hair back over her shoulders. “Touching me?”

Seth took a deep, slow breath as she trailed her fingers through the valley of her breasts before brushing her thumb over her nipple.

“Fuck Kate,” he said, his voice shaking with need.

She slowly walked her fingers down her stomach, still stroking and tweaking her nipple as she snuck her hand between her thighs and rubbed at her heated core.

“Feels good Seth,” she said, pressing her finger to her clit through the thin fabric of her panties. “But not as good as when you use your hands to touch me, or your lips to kiss me, or your tongue to taste me.”

Kate grinned at his moan.

“And your cock…” she turned her hand over to cup him through his pants. “There aren’t even words.”

“What’s gotten into you?” Seth said, his voice strained but impressed as she stroked him slowly. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Kate didn’t answer, bending down to kiss her way up his throat, nipping at his pulse point and running her lips over his jaw before capturing his lips. He kissed her hungrily, desperate to get closer to her as she cupped his cheeks in her hands. When her fingers slid into his hair and tugged lightly, he let out a groan. When Kate pulled away, he chased her lips as much as he could but she turned her head and scraped her teeth over his earlobe.

“I want you inside me,” Kate whispered, rolling her her hips again. “Do you want …”

“Yes,” Seth said, not even bothering to let her finish.

She grinned, climbing off of him to stand. Seth tilted his head up to watch but she didn’t take off her panties quiet yet, choosing instead to remove what remained of his clothes. She lifted his hips once she unbuckled his belt and undid his pants, letting her tug them off. His boxers followed soon after but he still didn’t move his hands. Kate ran her hands up his thighs, enjoying how he reacted to her touch. It was hard not to feel a little bit powerful with Seth Gecko entirely at her mercy. Kate couldn’t help her own excited trembling as she pulled a condom from the nightstand and rolled it on. Once she straddled his hips once again, it was easy to rock and grind against him, his cock pressing into her core and making them both gasp and moan.

Taking him in hand, she positioned him at her entrance and slowly sank down. Seth’s long groan only made her hotter and wetter as she let him fill her completely. His restraint was admirable, with veins standing out on his arms and his hands tightly fisted as he held himself still. Kate rocked her hips experimentally, sinking her teeth into her lower lip as her fingers danced over his abdomen. When she bent down to kiss him, he responded just like before but his noise of appreciation was muffled by her lips when Kate reached up and gave the satin belt a good tug. It came free easily, freeing his wrists. She half expected him to flip them over and fuck her hard and passionately but instead he ran his fingers through her hair and down her back before pushing her up to sit again.

“I want you just like this baby,” Seth said, one hand sliding up her torso to brush over her nipple as the other gripped her hip.

Kate set her own pace, rocking and grinding her hips as she gripped the wrist of his hand on her hip. When his other hand slid between their bodies and his thumb pressed to her clit, she faltered and whined out his name. Seth rubbed slow circles over her clit, praise pouring from his mouth as she rode him.

“So fucking beautiful,” he said appreciatively, slightly breathless as she flushed and clenched around him.

“Seth,” Kate whimpered, feeling that familiar tight coil in her lower belly.

He met her rocking hips with thrusts of his own, circling her clit faster as he encouraged her to let it happen. Her orgasm hit her in waves, her entire body shaking and more than one curse slipping from her lips - no doubt from Seth’s influence. As she came down, Seth turned them over gently and kissed her as he set a quick pace, making sure not to stimulate her because of her sensitivity. Kate stroked his hair and back as her leg hitched up on his waist. With all the teasing she did, it didn’t take long for Seth to come, his face pressed into her throat and his hands holding her hips so tight she wondered if there would be marks there in the morning. Kate really wouldn’t mind if there were. When he rolled off of her and went to toss away the condom, she admired the view of his bare backside, not bothering to cover her overheated body with the blankets. Seth was fully smirking by the time he made it back to her, falling onto the bed next to her only to take her in his arms and kiss her deeply.

“Happy Halloween,” Kate said, pulling away with a slightly shy smile.

She wondered what he would think about the lace and satin getup now that it was all done with. When his eyes darkened with desire once more at the memory, she couldn’t help but shudder slightly as she pressed her thighs together.

“Best one ever,” Seth decided before capturing her lips in another kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They end up surrounded by culebras in a very very close call and Seth's so shook up he HAS to check Kate head to toe for bites or harm, as in all things he's very thorough.

The audible crack of Kate’s head on the ground nearly brought Seth to his knees. If they weren’t still surrounded by culebras, he might have been at her side instantly. But he knew she would kill him herself if he didn’t take care of them first. Whatever exhaustion he’d been feeling as they battled the bloodsuckers evaporated and he was killing them left and right without stopping. Before he could really process how many he’d killed, they were alone in the gas station parking lot.

“Damn,” Kate muttered from the ground.

Her voice was enough to bring him out of his bloodlust haze and finally to his knees at her side.

“Don’t,” Seth said, putting his hands on her shoulders to keep her from getting up.

“I’m fine,” Kate said, trying to shrug him off.

He held her more firmly, a warning in his gaze. Then his hands were in her hair, prodding at her head to see if there was blood. She winced when he hit a sore spot but there wasn’t an open wound. Seth didn’t stop there. His fingers gently turned her head side-to-side as he inspected her neck for wounds. Then he was brushing his thumb over a red mark on her cheek that would surely bruise. 

The blood splattered across her was culebra blood, not her own. But Seth still checked both of her arms and even peered around her back to make sure there was no blood seeping into her shirt. Kate remained perfectly still throughout the inspection. When Seth finally pulled away, she looked up at him. He knew she was trying to convey annoyance but all he could see was the fear in the depths of her eyes.

“You’re okay,” he said, pressing his hand to her cheek.

Kate nodded, bringing her hand up to cover his.

“I’m okay,” she assured him.

“Fuck, Kate,” Seth huffed, shaking his head. “I heard you hit the ground and I thought … I thought you were dead.”

She reached up, curling her fingers in his hair. When Kate pulled him in to press her forehead to his, Seth went rigid for a moment before relaxing at her gentle touch.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Kate said.

Seth almost said that he couldn’t do this without her, that he couldn’t _live_  without her, that she got him through all those horrible months after Richie left him and how she was his reason for living even now. But he kept the thoughts to himself and breathed her in, telling himself over and over again that she was okay. He would tell her later, when they were both ready. For now she was alive and she was still with him, and that was enough.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate in the office w the boys, she falls asleep..Seth picks her up and carries her to bed, Richie totally gives him shit about it as he's doing it of course.

It was oddly relaxing, listening to Seth and Richie make their plans. Part of it was witnessing their process and hearing just how ingenious they really were. Few people got to see the Gecko brothers in their element. It was quite a spectacle. They were methodical and chaotic all at once. Seth was all waving arms and brash statements mixed with words that would make any good southern Baptist flush with shame. Kate didn’t even notice anymore. She didn’t really want to think about what that said about her. Richie was bold and yet calm, going over every detail, sometimes more than once. 

Some people might be alert and pay attention to their every word but Kate let their planning calm her as she laid on her side, her head pillowed on the arm of the couch and her arms wrapped around her middle. Every once in a while, as he stepped away from the desk, Kate felt Seth brush his hand through her hair or stroke his thumb over her jawline before walking back over to Richie to start talking about another contingency or backup plan. When Richie asked if she wanted to go to bed, she shook her head and smiled, albeit a bit sleepily.

“I like listening to you two,” she told them.

Neither of them said anything. They probably didn’t even know what to say. So they went back to their planning. Kate didn’t even know when she drifted off but when she stirred once more, two strong arms were lifting her from the couch. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing contentedly.

“So heroic,” Richie teased from somewhere nearby.

“Fuck off,” Seth grumbled.

She laughed lightly, aware enough to find the humor in this.

“Like a dream,” Kate sighed.

“What’s that?” Seth asked, holding her steady without faltering as he carried her out of the office and towards her room.

She barely opened her eyes, looking up at him.

“Being carried by a strong, handsome man,” Kate murmured, smiling lazily when he gave her a squinting look.

“You’re delirious,” Seth said.

Kate shook her head, closing her eyes as she laid her head back against his chest.

“I’m happy.”

She didn’t see Seth’s reaction and he didn’t say anything. When they reached her room, he managed to open the door and walked inside slowly before gently laying her on the bed and covering her with the covers that she didn’t bother to make up that morning.

“Thank you,” she said, catching his hand.

Kate was half asleep but she could have sworn that he brushed her hair aside and kissed her forehead before answering.

“You’re welcome sweetheart.”

She snuggled into her pillow and let out a content sigh, telling herself that she would return the kiss tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OMG can Seth get all insecure about being a dad and Kate comforting him?

She found him in the dark kitchen of their tiny apartment with a glass of whiskey cradled in his hands and the weight of the world on his shoulders. Kate had seen him like this before but it wasn’t like their few months in Mexico. She usually ignored him before, letting him wallow in his thoughts. That wasn’t an option now and even if it was, she didn’t want it to be.

“It’s late,” she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before sitting next to Seth at their old, small, rickety table.

Her hand went to his shoulder and he didn’t shrug it off like he would have before. So many things had changed.

“I’ve been staring at this glass for almost an hour,” he said quietly. “Haven’t taken a single drink.”

Kate looked from him to the glass and back.

“Okay?” she said, slightly confused.

He still didn’t look at her. His face was shadowed by the darkness but she could see the raw emotion in his eyes.

“My dad would drink a lot,” Seth said.

She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath before answering.

“I know,” Kate said, having heard it from him and Richie before.

“He was a son of a bitch,” he continued, running his thumb around and around the lip of the glass. “Bloodied me up all the damn time. I remember days when I couldn’t even move from bed because every single bone in my body hurt like hell.”

She didn’t say anything, closing her eyes against the images he brought up in her mind. Kate didn’t usually like to admit to hating people but she certainly wouldn’t mind saying a few choice words to Ray Gecko if she had the chance.

“I don’t ever want to be like him.”

She opened her eyes and moved her hand to his cheek, forcing him to look up at her.

“You aren’t,” Kate said, her eyes filling with tears. “You never will be.”

“What if I am?” Seth asked, his hand coming up to cover hers. “Can’t that shit be genetic? What if I…”

“Stop,” she said, putting her hand over his mouth to physically shut him up.

He didn’t fight it, watching her with a heavy gaze.

“You are nothing like your father, Seth Gecko. You could never, ever do what he did. You may have the worst opinion of yourself but you forget that I have seen into your soul. I know you. I know your heart. You will _never_  be him. Do you think that I would be here if I didn’t know that for a fact?”

Seth swallowed hard before ducking his head. He didn’t look down at the glass again but instead at her swollen belly. His hand hesitantly touched the bump. She pulled her hand away from his mouth to lay over his, pressing it closer to their baby, and they both sat there for a long time.

“I want to be good,” he said, his voice so quiet that she barely heard it. “For this baby. I want to be… fuck I want to be good Kate.”

She slid her hand into his hair and brought him in close, kissing him with every bit of emotion that she could muster. Kate didn’t comment on the wetness she felt on his cheek. There was no need to. When she pulled away, she made a point of looking in his eyes.

“I love you,” Kate said, brushing her thumb over his jaw. “Our baby is going to love you.”

He shuddered at her words before pressing his forehead to hers.

“I love you both so much,” Seth said, choking out the words as if they were all he knew. “How the fuck do I love someone I’ve never even met?”

Kate let out a teary laugh.

“Welcome to parenthood,” she said.

Seth managed a smile and pulled away, dropping to his knees to press his forehead to her belly.

“I’m not gonna be like him,” he said quietly as her hands slid into his hair and she watched him talk to their baby. “I’m never gonna hurt you. I’m gonna protect you.”

Kate closed her eyes, letting him have this moment.

“You’re going to be an amazing dad,” she said after a long few minutes.

Seth let out a shaking breath.

“Thank you,” he said, sounding awestruck at her words.

She simply smiled, stroking his hair as they sat there for a long time. The glass of whiskey sat forgotten on the table.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Will you marry me"

Kate felt the bed shift but didn’t break her concentration. There was something almost peaceful about the methodical nature of cleaning her gun. She knew well enough from her time with the Geckos to take good care of it. It was a sign of how much her life had changed that she took it seriously and found it even comforting to go through the process. But when an arm slid around her waist, she faltered and nearly dropped the piece she was working on.

“You’re going to distract me,” she said softly.

Seth slid the strap of her dress from her shoulder, pressing a kiss there.

“That’s the point,” he said.

He smelled clean and his hair was still damp from the shower that he just took. Kate could feel that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, especially when he pulled her back into his chest and continued pressing soft kisses to her shoulder and neck. Without her permission, her skin tingled in the wake of his lips and she couldn’t help but shudder.

“Do _you_ want to finish this for me?” she asked, though she couldn’t really find it in her to complain about what he was doing.

“Leave it for later,” Seth said, brushing her hair aside.

Kate let her head fall back onto his shoulder, already giving into him.

“How do I ever get anything done with you around?” she huffed.

She felt rather than saw Seth’s smile as his hand drifted down to her thigh. He stroked his fingers over her thigh, drawing nonsense patters as she turned her head to the side to look at him.

“I have something for you,” Seth said before she could close the distance between them and kiss him.

Kate narrowed her eyes at him.

“If you say your dick, I swear you’re not getting any for a week,” she threatened.

He grinned at her and she couldn’t help the warmth that unfurled in her chest at the sight. Kate never thought she’d see Seth this happy but here he was and she loved it.

“It’s not quite as good as that, I admit,” he said, dodging her hand when it flew up to hit him playfully.

He held his free hand up, showing her that it was curled into a fist. Kate actually felt a pleasant curiosity as she looked up at him questioningly. When he didn’t move, she covered his hand with hers.

“Seth?”

He looked slightly uncertain, slowly letting his fingers unfurl. Kate stared into his eyes for a few seconds before dropping her eyes to whatever he held. When she saw what it was, she let out a gasp and looked up at him again.

“Are you…” she trailed off, not wanting to say anything in case this was all a misunderstanding.

Seth knew that she liked pretty things. It was hard to hide it when she had her share of the money to buy what she wanted. She had an entire closet of nice clothes and shoes in their shared room at the compound to show it. But this… Seth cleared his throat and pulled her from her thoughts.

“I don’t want to fuck this up,” he warned her.

“You won’t,” Kate said, turning to face him fully. “Seth I-”

“I love you, Kate.”

She’d heard him say it before. But every single time she felt her entire body fill with unspeakable emotions. Kate looked down at the ring in his hand, picking it up between her finger and thumb.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, turning it this way and that to admire the sparkling diamond set into the silver band.

“Marry me,” Seth said quickly.

Kate looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Shit,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I’m fucking this up, aren’t I? I’m supposed to have this entire damn speech planned and all I can come up with is…”

“Seth,” she said, laughing at his nervous rambling. “Do you want an answer or not?”

He swallowed hard, looking up at her. Kate reached out, putting her hand on his cheek.

“Did you really think I’d say anything but yes?”

It was his turn to look at her with surprise.

“You’re saying yes?” Seth asked.

She surged forward, finally kissing him. It was soft and sweet, lasting for a few long seconds before she pulled away to look at him again.

“I’m saying yes,” Kate said in a whisper.

She leaned back, sliding the ring onto her left hand. It wasn’t a perfect fit but she didn’t care. It was flawless to her. Before she could admire it for long, Seth was pulling her in again, his hands running through her hair and then cupping her neck and gripping her hips as he pushed her back onto the pillow.

“We’ve got that job… next week,” Kate gasped out as he kissed his way down her jaw and to her throat. “There’s a city hall close to the bank.”

Seth lifted his head, looking up at her quizzically.

“You don’t want to do the whole big thing?” he asked.

Kate shook her head, stroking her fingers through his hair.

“I want to be Mrs. Gecko,” she told him simply before smiling wickedly. “Richie can be our best man. Then we can rob a bank after and be back in time for post-wedding sex.”

Seth gave her that smile again that made her feel weak.

“I like the sound of that,” he said.

Kate let out a delighted laugh, unable to hold it in as she held her hand up between them to admire the ring again.

“So do I,” she said.

Seth stared at her, almost looking like he didn’t quite believe she was real. She caught him looking at her like that a lot.

“I love you,” she told him.

He nodded, giving her a soft look.

“Good. Cause you’re stuck with me.”

Kate didn’t really mind that.

“Forever and ever,” she said.

He grinned down at her.

“Fucking right,” Seth confirmed with a nod.

Kate pulled him in for another kiss, feeling like she’d float away out of sheer happiness if he didn’t keep her grounded. _This_ was how it was supposed to be. And she was never going to let go.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate punching someone for Seth, and Seth being super proud of her right hook

Kate was glad that she hadn’t joined her friends in drinking a lot. She’d sipped on a bottle of hard cider over several minutes but didn’t want much more. Now she was better for it because while they were tripping all over themselves and running off from the crowd to get sick in the already filthy bathrooms of the concert venue, she was enjoying the music.

She didn’t love the country genre as much as the rest of them but the atmosphere around her was nearly euphoric, with everyone shouting the lyrics back at the band, who were all fairly drunk themselves, and a sense of freedom just from being one in a crowd. Her father wouldn’t approve of her attendance but Kate was in college and this was just one of the experiences.

“You aren’t singing,” Jessica said, leaning heavily into Kate’s side.

Kate wasn’t sure if it was so that she could hear her or so that Jessica wouldn’t topple right over without the support.

“I’m going to go get you a bottle of water,” Kate said, balancing her against their friend Mason before pushing her way through the crowd.

She didn’t really want to approach one of the several bars in the large room but she also didn’t want her friend to die of alcohol poisoning. Kate had to yell for the simple bottle of water, pulling money out of her pocket as she glanced over her shoulder at the stage. When a hand slid around her waist, however, Kate jerked away and glared around at its owner.

“Let me buy you a drink baby,” a man said, crowding close to her with a sleazy smile.

“How about you keep your hands to yourself and don’t call me baby,” Kate shot back, grabbing the bottle of water and backing away.

“C’mon, don’t be like that,” he slurred at her.

Kate bumped into a hard chest, looking around with wide eyes at her second assailant. But his dark eyes were on the drunk man and his face was arranged in a scowl.

“I think she made herself pretty clear buddy,” he said, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder to push him back.

“No one fucking asked you, _buddy_ ,” the drunk said, pushing his hand away.

Kate wanted to walk away and rejoin her friends but she was rooted to the spot with wide eyes. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man who came to her defense, taking in his dark suit, a strange sight for this kind of venue, and dark hair. Almost everything about him was dark and she felt like it mirrored the danger that radiated off of him. She wondered how the handsy man didn’t sense it.

“It’s fine,” she called, not wanting either of them to get hurt on her account.

Neither seemed to hear her.

“Back off,” the man in the suit said.

Kate gasped when the drunk reared back and slammed his fist into the other man’s jaw, sending him staggering back a few steps. It wasn’t enough, apparently, because the asshole took a few step forward and hit him directly in the eye. Before she knew it, Kate was shoving her way between them and her own fist connected right with his nose just like she learned in the self-defense class she took a year ago.

It hurt like hell, bringing tears to her eyes, but that was nothing compared to the satisfaction she felt at the crunching noise she heard even over the loud music. The man took several steps back this time, holding his hand to his bleeding nose. Kate shook out her hand as pain radiated throughout it, nodding once. When a hand closed around her arm, she whipped around to see the dark man staring at her.

“Let’s go before they call a bouncer over here,” he said, his mouth close to her ear so that she would hear him.

It made her shudder and she seriously hoped that he didn’t notice. He led them straight through the crowd and back to the hallway that led to the bathrooms. The lights were dim and she wrinkled her nose at the smell but didn’t pull away from him.

“Will we get kicked out?” Kate asked, her voice at a normal level when she realized the music wasn’t nearly as loud back here.

“Not if they don’t find us,” he said, shooting her a smirk.

She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips in return before she noticed his bleeding lip.

“You didn’t have to get yourself punched over that,” Kate said with a frown, reaching up to wipe a drop of blood away with his thumb.

He stared down at her, his expression indecipherable. Kate felt heavy beneath his gaze, like it was hard to breathe with him staring at her like that.

“Thought I’d step in and save the girl,” he said with a shrug.

She smiled wider, tilting her head to the side.

“I believe that I’m the one who did the punching,” Kate said, holding up her throbbing hand to prove it.

He looked down at it, hesitating before taking it in his larger hand. She bit down on her lip, watching as he held it up to the minimal light they had in the hallway.

“That was a damn good punch,” he told her.

“Wasn’t it?” Kate said, proud of herself.

He huffed, nearly laughing as he met her eyes again.

“I’d put ice on this later if I were you.”

“I could say the same thing about your face,” Kate countered.

“A little bruising never hurt anybody,” he shrugged.

She leaned back against the wall, unable to quite believe that she went from getting a bottle of water to hiding away from bouncers with an unfairly attractive, clearly dangerous man in a suit.

“Who are you?” Kate asked.

He didn’t answer right away, looking around them before meeting her eyes again and speaking.

“Seth.”

It suited him. She liked it.

“Kate,” she told him.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, gently shaking the hand that he still held.

They fell into silence again, but there was something in the air that she couldn’t quite ignore. When Kate felt her phone buzzing in her back pocket, she knew that it was probably one of her friends wondering where she was.

“I should get back to my group,” Kate said slowly.

“You should,” he agreed, dropping her hand.

She felt disappointed when he backed away from her. Instead of walking away like she should have, Kate reached into her purse and pulled out a pen, reaching out to grab his hand with a burst of rare confidence. She never did anything like this. But then again she didn’t usually punch drunks in the middle of a concert.

“If you need anyone to hit someone for you again, call me,” Kate said teasingly.

“Oh it’s like that?” he said, sounding amused.

She smiled up at him, dropping his hand before pushing up on her toes to kiss his cheek first, then his jaw.

“Kisses make it better,” she whispered, pulling away to meet his eyes.

Before she could even react, he was pressing her back against the wall and kissing her like she’d never been kissed before. It stole the breath from her chest and made her feel weak at the knees. If it wasn’t for his hands on her hips and her arms around his shoulders, she would have slid right down to the floor. Her head was spinning by the time he pulled away, leaving her standing there with her chest heaving and cheeks flushed.

“See you around, Kate,” Seth said, stroking his thumb down her cheek before turning to walk away.

She watched him go with her fingers on her lips, trying not to forget the way it felt to kiss him. He was dangerous, of that much she was certain, but there was something about him that made her want more. Kate could only hope that he felt the same about her. It would be a damn shame if she never saw him again. Gathering herself, she hurried out of the hallway and off to find her friends, knowing she wouldn’t tell them about this. It, and Seth, were all hers.

**Author's Note:**

> I would love to hear what you think!
> 
> tumblr - sethsprincess  
> twitter - sethkaterise


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